DETROIT — Bedrock, the real estate development company created by Quicken Loans Founder Dan Gilbert, will temporarily waive all rent, expenses and parking fees for restaurants and retail tenants that qualify as small businesses and which occupy space at the landlord’s buildings in downtown Detroit. Bedrock owns about 50 percent of the leasable commercial real estate space in Detroit’s 1.4-square-mile downtown business district, according to The Wall Street Journal. In downtown Detroit, Bedrock’s real estate portfolio includes 125 retailers and restaurants.
The rent forgiveness initiative, which runs from April through June, comes as businesses across the state temporarily suspend in-person operations unless they are deemed essential. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order on Monday in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The order will be in effect through April 13. Bedrock recognizes that many of its small restaurant and retail tenants have taken a big hit financially due to lost business during the crisis and want to enable these tenants to use their resources to pay bills and meet payroll commitments. Qualification as a small business is based on criteria established using industry and governmental standards.